Three times a week, Whaea Jeannie takes a group of students and starts the day with āhei, a programme designed to improve the fundamental movement skills of students.

Why Does Movement Matter for Reading, Writing, and Maths?

You might wonder how running, balancing, and catching connect to your child’s academic progress. The truth is, a child's body is the foundation for their brain.

Before a child can comfortably hold a pencil, track words across a page, or solve a math problem, they must first develop physical literacy. Programmes like āhei build these vital physical pillars to directly support classroom learning:

• Core Strength & Writing: Fundamental body-management skills (like balancing and climbing) build the core, shoulder, and wrist strength needed for fine motor control. Without it, children fatigue quickly when holding a pencil or sitting at a desk.

• Visual Tracking & Reading: Catching a ball or tracking a moving object trains the eye muscles. These are the exact same muscle patterns children use to track words from left to right across a page without skipping lines.

• Spatial Awareness & Maths: Movement patterns require children to understand concepts like depth, distance, direction, and speed. This physical understanding of space forms the cognitive foundation for geometry, scaling, and abstract mathematical reasoning.

• Brain Integration & Coordination: Cross-lateral movements - like crawling or skipping, where the body crosses its midline - activate both hemispheres of the brain. This communication across the brain is essential for processing complex tasks, from decoding phonics to managing step-by-step problem-solving.

By teaching fundamental movement skills, we aren't just helping children stay active - we are unlocking their cognitive potential and building the physical scaffolding required for academic success.

āhei is a free New Zealand digital platform designed to help teachers, coaches, and volunteers deliver inclusive physical education and sport sessions that teach foundational movement skills to children of all abilities. Founded by Kiwi Paralympic athletes and coaches, the word āhei means "to be able, possible, or capable" in Te Reo Māori, reflecting its mission to ensure every child can meaningfully participate in movement. 

Instead of treating physical activity as rigid drills, the āhei Platform focuses on the fundamental physical literacy skills that build a lifetime of active living. 

The Core Foundational Movements

The platform incorporates curriculum-aligned activities centered around core, natural movement patterns that every child needs to develop: 

• Locomotor Skills: Basic travel movements like running, jumping, skipping, and bounding.

• Object Control: Direct manipulation skills such as throwing, catching, striking, and kicking.

• Body Management: Balance, spatial awareness, and fundamental strength-building movements like the bodyweight squat.

You can find more information about āhei here: https://www.ahei.co.nz/